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An increasing number of media organisations are adopting news recommender systems (NRS). Such algorithmic technologies, which prioritise content based on, for example, previous user behaviour or popularity metrics, may have far-reaching repercussions for news work. Despite this, the implications of NRS implementation for intra-organisational practices as well as dynamics and tensions between involved actors remain understudied. Against this background, this study examines decision-making processes and relationships between actors participating in NRS projects from an institutional logics perspective and places a particular emphasis on resulting tensions between journalistic, market, and tech logics. Drawing on 32 in-depth qualitative interviews with news media professionals across ten news organisations in the Netherlands and Switzerland, we discover a wide range of strategies which aim to reconcile logic multiplicity in the specific case of NRS development. Such negotiation efforts can ultimately promote new work practices and forms of collaboration but may also have broader implications for the distribution of power and voice within news organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home births in high risk pregnancies and unassisted childbirth seem to be increasing in the Netherlands. There is a lack of qualitative data on women's partners' involvement in these choices in the Dutch maternity care system, where integrated midwifery care and home birth are regular options in low risk pregnancies. The majority of available literature focuses on the women's motivations, while the partner's influence on these decisions is much less well understood. We aimed to examine partners' involvement in the decision to birth outside the system, in order to provide medical professionals with insight and recommendations regarding their interactions with these partners in the outpatient clinic. An exploratory qualitative research design with a constructivist approach and a grounded theory method were used. In-depth interviews were performed with twenty-one partners on their involvement in the decision to go against medical advice in choosing a high risk childbirth setting. Open, axial and selective coding of the interview data was done in order to generate themes. Four main themes were found: 1) Talking it through, 2) A shared vision, 3) Defending our views, and 4) Doing it together. One overarching theme emerged that covered all other themes: 'She convinced me'. These data show that the idea to choose a high risk birth setting almost invariably originated with the women, who did most of the research online, filtered the information and convinced the partners of the merit of their plans. Once the partners were convinced, they took a very active and supportive role in defending the plan to the outside world, as well as in preparing for the birth. Maternity care providers can use these findings in cases where there is a discrepancy between the wishes of the woman and the advice of the professional, so they can attempt to involve partners actively during consultations in pregnancy. That will ensure that partners also receive information on all options, risks and benefits of possible birth choices, and that they are truly in support of a final plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract When studying smart grids experiments, much scholarly attention is directed at the household level. This article argues for the importance to look "further upstream" by studying the development and design phase of such interventions. The article focusses on the development of two smart grid projects in the Netherlands. Using a set of qualitative research approaches the article investigates and maps the diversity of actors that are typically involved in smart grid projects. Three themes are identified that play a central role in the design of smart energy interventions. Given the type of actors prominent in the design, this article finds that current smart energy interventions are designed based on decisions favouring technological default, certain sticky user-assumptions, and automated control. The discussion covers some implications of the prominence of these particular actors in smart grid projects, and the supply-side biased design that it engenders. Highlights • We identify a diversity of established and emerging actors involved in current smart grid projects. • Technological goals, interests and understandings will likely be prioritized if design is in the hands of established actors. • Incumbent energy sector actors see household demand flexibility as a techno-economic question, requiring techno-economic solutions. • The importance of automation for household energy management relates strongly to the presence of commercial interests that will operate it. • Based on our fieldwork, we provide recommendations to mitigate some of the risks associated with these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to support users of the Internet with the selection of information is becoming more important. Learners in complex, self-organising Learning Networks have similar problems and need guidance to find and select most suitable learning activities, in order to attain their lifelong learning goals in the most efficient way. Several research questions regarding efficiency and effectiveness deal with adequate navigation support through recommender systems. To answer some of these questions an experiment was set up within an Introduction Psychology course of the Open University of the Netherlands. Around 250 students participated in this study and were monitored over an experimental period of four months. All were provided the same course materials, but only half of them were supported with a personalised recommender system. This study examined the effects of the navigation support on the completion of learning activities (effectiveness), needed time to comply them (efficiency), actual use of and satisfaction with the system, and the variety of learning paths. The recommender system positively influenced all measures, by having significant effects on efficiency, satisfaction and variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]